Want a break from Earth? Need a cosmic perspective? Swing by the 2nd floor DVD Display for titles that will take you out of this world.
Taryn recommends:
Lost in Space
Watch the classic on Hulu and then check out this contemporary spin - fear not, the cardboard sets are gone!
Contact
An astronomer (after looking futilely on earth for decades) searches for extraterrestrial intelligent life.
Barbarella
Barbarella, an astronaut, lands on the frozen planet Lythion (wearing very little) and sets out to find the renowned/sex crazed scientist Durand Durand who is unrelated to the English new wave/synthpop band. If you need more cheese in your life this will surely satisfy!
Matt recommends:
Alien, Aliens, The Empire Strikes Back and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Deb recommends:
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
“Let's face it, we never knew the term "hyperspace" existed until Han Solo put the Millennium Falcon into that mode in Episode IV: A New Hope.”
Diane recommends:
Apollo 13
“Ever since I discovered that one of my husband and my closest friends was on the team at Mission Control in Houston who had to figure out how to safely bring back the Apollo 13 spacecraft and astronauts, I have loved the movie Apollo 13! His stories about that mission were pretty faithfully portrayed in the movie.”
And, the newer Star Trek movies with Chris Pine: Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek: Into the Darkness
“they are always great for a fun Saturday afternoon matinee!”
Lia recommends:
Star Trek IV: the Voyage Home
"After reuniting with Spock, the crew of the Enterprise receives a distress call from Earth, prompting a journey back in time to 1980s San Francisco. Star Trek IV: the Voyage Home combines Star Trek's brand of cerebral science fiction with fish-out-of-water humor. With a plot that stands out on its own from its predecessors, this is one Star Trek movie that's fun to watch over and over again."
Guardians of the Galaxy
"After stealing an orb for a mysterious buyer, Peter Quill (the legendary StarLord) finds himself running from the law, the assassin Gamora, and bounty hunters Rocket and Groot. But when they discover the orb could be the key to the destruction of a planet, the four of them put aside their differences to team up and save the galaxy. Simultaneously funny and touching, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is a visually stunning journey through the multiverse."
Myles recommends:
A Brief History of Time - looks at Steven Hawking's work into the origin and fate of the universe. Colleagues and loved ones recount Hawking's struggles and triumphs through adversity in this documentary directed by Errol Morris (Gates of Heaven, Thin Blue Line), featuring music by Phillip Glass. Check out Hawking’s book by the same title, A Brief History of Time, for further mind bending.
If "camp" is your thing, watch the unnecessary drama unfold as Bellus (a fictional planet) collides with Earth in When Worlds Collide (1951). Only a chosen few will board a spaceship to Zyra, a moon of Bellus, before the disastrous collision. Zyra's set design is worth the watch until the end- if you can laugh (and stomach) your way through the acting.
In Gravity, Dr. Ryan Stone, played by Sandra Bullock, faces uncharted obstacles while in Earth’s orbit. This science-fi suspense movie soon turns into a tearjerker about motherhood. Don't let the title fool you; incredible special effects make the viewer feel weightless. If you need a good cry, check out Gravity.
